In celebration of the Stevenson University Founders Day, the Mustang Activities and Programming Board (MAP), held a virtual talent show in collaboration with Arts Alive!, a program responsible for bringing the arts to students, faculty, and staff. 

 Founder’s Day is an annual celebration of not only the university but the community it created when it was founded. 

This year, the celebration was held virtually with a talent show, which featured eight performers and various talents, including dancing, singing, students playing instruments and stand-up comedy. Despite its online-only format, the show “still had that feel of community,” Marie Ofoegbu said, a junior at Stevenson who co-hosted the talent show. One feature of this year’s performance that augmented this “community feel” was the “chat option” where viewers interacted with each other and commented on performances as the show progressed.

Performances were located in various places, ranging from Stevenson’s dorm rooms, common areas on campus, or even students’ homes. Some notable performances include one student who performed stand-up comedy from their dorm and another student who sang “Halleluiah” by Jeff Buckley while playing the piano at their home. “It was actually really fun, and it was nice to see the different acts that were going on,” said sophomore Bisma Mahmood, who also participated in the talent show. Mahmood performed a Bollywood dance and placed third in the overall show. 

 “It’s great to have a talent show, because then we have a moment to realize the different aspects we have as people other than academics and what our extracurriculars are, like what we are passionate about,” Ofoegbu said. The show was well attended and enjoyed – even as a virtual event. Around 70 people attended, including President Elliot Hirshman and Vice President of Student Affairs, Tiffany Sanchez.  

The talent show is an annual and significant tradition to the Stevenson community. “Traditions are what hold us together and hold us to our founding and to our future,” Ofoegbu said as they, “should still be held in a virtual setting so we can still stay connected.”

The next upcoming community event at Stevenson is Mystery Bingo, hosted by Student Activities. This event occurs Friday, Nov. 6, at 8 p.m. at the Claire E. Moore Room in Garrison Hall. Students are able to sign up for this event at The Rock.